In intercoolers employed in multistage centrifugal compressors, as well as in other related heat exchangers, gas is introduced into the heat exchanger, is caused to pass over coolant containing tubes whereby heat is transferred from the gas to the coolant with the gas being subsequently emitted through a discharge outlet.
One known embodiment of heat exchanger of the above-described type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,532,160. An elongated cylindrical shell is provided with a gas inlet and a gas outlet and an octagonally shaped array of tubes contained within a tube bundle. A complex series of walls above the bundle define a series of baffles which serve to resist short-circuiting flow, but tend to result in gaseous flow over only a relatively small portion of the coolant containing tubes as the gas flows from the inlet to the outlet. Further, such a construction requires extensive fabrication and, as to certain portions, requires detailed attention to mechanical tolerances.
There remains a substantial need for an efficient heat exchanger which is adapted for use as an intercooler in centrifugal compressors, as well as in other environments, wherein improved efficiency of heat transfer is provided while facilitating ease of economical manufacture and maintenance of the equipment.